Lightning-arrester



No. 753,582. PATENTED MAR. I, 1904.

H. N. KEIFER. LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

GSI

A 770/?/VE UNrTED STATES Patented March 1, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,582, dated March 1,1904. .Application filed June 30, 1903. Serial No. 163,741. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD NEWMARK KEI- EER, a citizen of the Unit-edStates, and a resident of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State ofKansas, have invented a new and Improved Lightning-Arrester, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to lightning-arresters of the kind provided with afuse and capable of general use, but particularly adapted for service inconnection with telephones, telegraphs, voltmeters, and the like.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a lightning-arrester embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same upon the line2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in thedirection of the arrow, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of amodified form of the insulating-spool, slightly enlarged.

A base 1 is provided with a central aperture 2 and with a countersink 3disposed centrally thereof. This base is likewise provided with a slot4, one end of which is substantially in alinement with the countersink3, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 3. A plate 5 of conductingmaterial is mounted upon the upper end of a stem 6, which is providedwith a leaf-spring 7 and is encircled by a spiral spring 8, as indicatedin Figs. 2 and 3. A screw 9, provided with a washer 10, serves as abinding-post for a ground-wire 11. The leaf-spring 7 is engaged by thescrew 9, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 3. Clipsprings 12 13 areintegrally mounted upon bases 12a 13a, these bases being engaged byscrews 12]D 131b for the purpose of securing terminal Wires 12c 13".

Upon a core 14 of iron is mounted a cylinder 15 of insulating material,this cylinder being provided with a spiral rib 16, the convolutions ofwhich virtually form grooves 17 for partially shielding a wire 18. Thiswire may be of any suitable metal and is of such size as to be fusedwhen the current reaches a certain danger limit. The ends of wire may besoldered to terminal rings 21 22, as shown in Fig. 2. If desired,however, the modied structure shown in Fig. 4 may be employed. The core14 and the cylinder 15 have the same structure as that shown in Fig. 2;but each end 19a of a wire 18n is secured by means of a washer 2Oa and ascrew 2l, so as to make a good connection with a terminal ring 22a.

The invention is used as follows: The cylinder 15, provided with itsiron core 14 and with the other attachments above described, is sprunginto place so as to be engaged by the spring-clips 12 13, as indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2. The plate 5 thereupon compresses the spiral spring 8to a slight extent and the reaction of this spring keeps the plate 5neatly pressed against the under side of the cylinder. The wires arenext connected up inthe usual manner. If now the line-wires 12c 13creceive from any source a current of such energy as to be dangerous orif either of them is struck by lightning, the excess of electricityjumps across from the wire 18 to the plate 5 and passes through the stem6, leafspring 7, and screw 9 to the ground-wire 11. The wires 18 18abeing drawn tightly upon the cylinder l5 are always maintained at acertain predetermined distance from the plate 5, and the excess ofelectricity must in each instance leap across the same distance in orderto be grounded. The gentle pressure of the plate 5 against the underside of the cylinder insures a uniform distance between the wire and theplate, and thus makes the lightning-arrester always reliable. If for anyreason the charge of lightning or excessive current is not carried tothe ground Without damaging any part of the apparatus or escaping to anyextent into objects disposed adjacent to the apparatus, the wires 18 18aare instantly fused, thereby cutting oif all communication andpreventing any further flow of the current. The iron core 14 is actedupon inductively by the wire 18, and by its own inductance upon thiswire causes the lightning to leap with greater readiness to the plato 5connected with the ground.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentn 1. In a lightning-arrester, the combination IOO of acylinder of insulating material provided with a spiral rib, a wire woundupon said cylinder and disposed adjacent to said rib, a plate ofconducting material disposed adjacent to said cylinder, spring mechanismfor automa-tically forcing said plate toward said cylinder, andelectrical connections between said plate and the earth.

2. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of an iron core, a cylinderof insulating material encircling the same and provided with a spiralrib, a wire of fusible metal wound closely upon said cylinder ofinsulating material and disposed adjacent to said rib, a plate ofconducting material disposed adjacent to said cylinder, and pressuremechanism for forcing said plate gently against said rib so as tomaintain the same a uniform distance from said wire.

HAROLD NEWMARK KEIFER.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. HUGHES, J r., F. E. SMITH.

